June 9, 2026

US player Serena Williams returns while playing with Canada’s Victoria Mboko against US player Nicole Melichar-Martinez and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe during their round of 16, doubles match at the HSBC WTA tennis Championships at Queen’s Club in west London on June 9, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP)

Serena Williams made a winning return to tennis after four years in retirement as the American legend partnered Victoria Mboko in a first-round doubles victory at the Queen’s Club on Tuesday.

Williams rolled back the years alongside Canadian teenager Mboko in a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 win over third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez at the grass-court tournament in west London.

It was like she had never been away as the 44-year-old produced her trademark thunderous serve and fearsome ground-strokes to the delight of a capacity crowd, including her two young daughters Olympia and Adira and husband Alexis Ohanian.